Seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat

ABSTRACT

In a seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, with seat components such as for example a seat part, a seat back ( 3 ), and a shell body ( 5 ) which forms at least a partially rear enclosure ( 9 ) of the seat part and the seat back ( 3 ), and with an adjusting means by which the seat part and the seat back ( 3 ) can be adjusted in position relative to one another and relative to the rear enclosure ( 9 ), with the distance between the latter and the seat back ( 3 ) being variable, there is present a cover means ( 31, 45 ) for bridging a distance which is formed by the variable distance between the seat back ( 3 ) and enclosure ( 9 ) between these formed gaps.

The invention relates to a seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, with seat components such as for example a seat part, a seat back, and a shell body which forms at least a partially rear enclosure of the seat part and/or the seat back, and with an adjusting means by which the seat part and the seat back can be adjusted in position relative to one another and relative to the rear enclosure, with the distance between the latter and the seat back being variable.

Seats of this type which are designed for modes of transportation for conveyance of passengers are known in the prior art. DE 100 19 484 A1 for example discloses such a seat which is intended especially for use as an aircraft passenger seat in passenger aircraft.

In particular on very long trips, such as on long-distance flights, but also in passages aboard ship, for example by means of ferries, it is the general object of aircraft or ferry outfitters to increase the comfort of the seat users and moreover of the passengers to be transported. Especially in first class and business class do the customer have the corresponding wishes which are to be satisfied. The trend also includes the desire of passengers to be able to use the travel time for useful resting or for sleeping in order for example to effectively counteract fatigue phenomena at the destination in long-distance flights or the like.

To meet these demands, efforts are being made to configure the adjustment means and the seat components interacting with it such that diverse, individually triggerable adjustment positions especially for the seat part and seat back are made available to the seat occupant in order to adapt the overall seating system to his requirements. So that a comfortable resting or sleeping position can be made available to the seat occupant, in which the seat part in the travel direction (flight direction) is pushed comparatively far forward and the seat back can be tilted back low to the rear within the shell body, an essentially elongated shape necessarily arises for the shell body which with its rear area forms the rear enclosure of the seat back.

This design however leads to the fact that for seat configurations in which the seat part is in a position shifted correspondingly far forward and the seat back is in the upright starting position, as is prescribed in flight operation for example during taxiing, take-off and landing, there is an intermediate space between the rear enclosure and the seat back. This intermediate space forms a gap between the lower end area of the seat back and the adjacent wall areas of the shell body. The presence of a gap in this area leads to the fact that beyond the edge of the rear enclosure on the shell body there is the possibility of access to the area of the bearing structure of the seat part located underneath the bottom end of the seat back. In this area underneath the seat bottom there are however the kinematics of the seat adjustment means, for example upright seat legs or toggle lever arrangements which can pivot and which belong to the adjustment mechanism. This results in the danger that articles, such as drinking vessels, bottles, beverage cans, or the like which accidentally fall over the edge of the enclosure into the shell body pass through the gaps into the region of these kinematics and lead to malfunctions or damage there. Additionally, there is the danger that individuals, for example children at play, can reach into the gaps which have formed and possibly injure themselves on the moving parts of the kinematics.

With respect to these problems the object of the invention is to make available a seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, in which the aforementioned danger of malfunctions by damage to the seat kinematics as well as the possible danger of injury are prevented.

As claimed in the invention, this object is achieved by a seat which has the features of claim 1 in its entirety.

Because as claimed in the invention there is a cover means which bridges the gap that can form between the seat back and the rear enclosure on the shell body in the corresponding position settings, both the danger that malfunctions will occur due to articles accidentally falling over the edge of the enclosure on the shell body into the interior and also the danger that an individual reaching into the shell body between the seat back and enclosure could be injured are avoided.

To adapt to the variable size of the gap which forms with the corresponding position settings, the cover means can have at least one cover element of variable shape or location.

In one advantageous exemplary embodiment, for this purpose there is a cover element which is attached to a component which is articulated to the bearing structure of the seat part, which is adjacent to the gap to be bridged, and which can be moved relative to the rear enclosure on the shell body when a change in the position of the seat part is induced by the adjusting means.

Such a component which bears this cover element can be a pivotable toggle lever which belongs to a toggle lever arrangement which is a component of the seat kinematics, as is conventional in the seat systems under consideration. In these seat kinematics a toggle lever coupled to the seat bottom of the seat part in the displacement motion of the seat part and seat back forward (travel or flight direction) executes a pivoting motion in which the cover element attached to it is raised out of a folded-down position such that it travels into the bridging position which at least partially closes the gap which has formed.

In these exemplary embodiments the cover means in addition to the first cover element located on the toggle lever can have a second cover element which extends in the direction to this first cover element and which is attached to the wall part of the enclosure adjacent to the gap. In this connection the first and the second cover element each form a partial bridge of the gap, the cover elements being movable relative to one another when the size of the gap changes.

Preferably the second cover element located on the enclosure is movably attached to the enclosure so that position changes which arise for the first cover element when the position setting changes can follow.

The two cover elements can be thin plates, for example of a plastic material of relative strength selected with respect to the required fire safety, or a metallic material, one plate overlapping the other and the extent of overlapping changing according to the respective size of the gap to be bridged.

In one especially simple design the second cover element is mounted on the enclosure to be able to pivot around an axis which runs in the transverse direction of the seat and is pretensioned for non-positive contact with the overlapping point on the first cover element.

Instead of using plate-disc shaped cover elements, there can be a flexible cover element which spans the gap and which is anchored on the one hand to the seat part or seat back and on the other to the rear enclosure.

In this connection it can be a tensionable strip or net structure which is rubber-elastically resilient. This strip or this net can be made such that they can be pulled out of a contracted configuration to a greater longitudinal extension when a corresponding gap which is to be spanned by the flexible element is formed with the corresponding position settings.

The invention is explained below in detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows a highly schematically simplified side view of one exemplary embodiment of the seat as claimed in the invention in the form of an aircraft passenger seat, the initial position being shown in which the seat back is in the upright position setting (TTL position);

FIG. 2 shows a cutaway, dismounted side view which is enlarged compared with FIG. 1, simply of structural elements of the seat part and the transition area to the seat back structure, the components of the seat kinematics belonging to the adjustment means being in the positions which correspond to the initial position shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view corresponding to FIG. 2, the components of the seat kinematics however being in the positions which correspond to the position setting of the seat part shifted forward (in the flight direction);

FIG. 4 shows a highly schematic, cutaway perspective in which the area located within the seat shell body is shown and is located between the seat kinematics found under the seat bottom and the rear inside wall part of the shell body, the position setting corresponding to FIG. 3 being shown;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a cover element provided for a modified exemplary embodiment of the seat as claimed in the invention in the form of a rubber-elastically resilient strip which is shown in the stretched state;

FIG. 6 shows a section corresponding to line VI-VI from FIG. 5 and

FIGS. 7 and 8 show partial representations of the area labeled A and B in FIG. 6 which are enlarged compared to FIG. 6.

FIG. 1 shows in a highly schematically simplified view one exemplary embodiment of the seat as claimed in the invention in the form of a aircraft passenger seat for increased comfort demands (for example, first-class or business-class), the seat part 1 and seat back 3 being partially encompassed by a shell body 5 which forms a side and rear enclosure. As is apparent from FIG. 1, the shell body 5 is lengthened to the rear beyond the area of the seat back 3 located in the upright position setting and the rear area of the seat 1, so that seat back 3 for transferring the seat into the resting or sleeping position can be tilted back so far that the upper end area of the seat back 3 is located within the rear enclosure formed by the shell body 5. As can be seen most clearly from FIG. 4, the shell body 5 between its side walls 7 and the inner rear wall 9 which runs down and forward and which forms the rear enclosure forms enough interior space to tilt the seat back 3 so far to the rear into the shell body that a comparatively flat sleeping position is attained.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show details of the kinematics which are located as a component of the seat adjustment means underneath the seat bottom 11 and of the lower end region of the seat back 3. Of the plurality of the mostly movable components in this regard, only those are described which are critical to the understanding of this invention. They include a rear pair of upright legs with one side upright leg 13 each (only the upright leg 13 facing the viewer is shown) and a front pair of upright legs with side upright legs 15 (likewise only one shown). While the upright legs 13 of the rear pair are made in one piece and are articulated at 17 to the cabin deck and at 19 to the seat bottom 11, the upright legs 15 of the front pair are not connected directly to the cabin deck, but are connected via one angle lever 21 each to the cabin deck, the angle levers 21 belonging to a differential gear which is not detailed here, and which causes vertical compensation in swiveling movements of the rear upright legs 13 which take place for position adjustment, so that the upright legs 15 coupled to the seat bottom 11 at 23 with their top end keep the seat bottom 11 free of tilting for position adjustments running longitudinally. With their other ends the upright legs 11 are articulated to the pertinent angle lever 21 at 25. The comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3 for position adjustment of the seat bottom 11 forward shows the corresponding position change of the angle lever 21 and thus of the respective upright leg 15.

As likewise can be clearly taken from FIGS. 2 and 3, within the enclosure formed by the shell body 5 between the rear wall 9 and the lower end area 27 of the seat back 3 connected to the rear area of the seat bottom 11 there is an intermediate space which forms a gap 29. As a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3 shows, the size of this gap 29 is variable depending on the seat setting of the seat part 11 and the seat back 3, i.e., the size of the gap 29 increases to the front when the seat part 1 is moved, see FIG. 3, compared to the rear position setting of the seat part 1 shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a first exemplary embodiment of the seat as claimed in the invention in which there is a cover means in order to close this gap 29 of variable size. The cover means has a first plate-like cover element 31 which, as FIG. 4 shows best, is a plate body which is largely rectangular in outline, with a width which extends essentially over the entire interior of the shell body 5 between its side walls 7. As FIGS. 2 and 3 show, this cover element 31 is attached to the rear side of an upper toggle lever 33 which is articulated on its upper end to the seat bottom 11 and on its lower end is connected at the toggle joint 35 to a lower toggle lever 37 which is turn is articulated on its bottom end to the cabin deck. As FIG. 4 shows in particular, the upper toggle lever 2, proceeding from the toggle joint 35, has lever arms 39 which tend apart from one another to the top in a V-shape and which are connected by a cross arm 41 on which in turn is the articulated connection to the seat bottom 11. The plate-like cover element 31 is connected via blind rivets 43 to the cross arm 41, see FIG. 4. The cover element 31 interacts with the second cover element 45 which is likewise made plate-like, and as is shown schematically simplified in FIGS. 2 and 3, is movably supported on the rear wall 9 of the shell body. This second cover element 45 which, like the first cover element 31, has a largely rectangular outline, aside from the slightly projecting strip 47 on the front end edge, likewise extends essentially over the entire width of the intermediate space between the side walls 7 of the shell body 5. As can be taken simply from FIG. 4, the second cover element 45 which, viewed in the flight direction, has a smaller dimension than the first cover element 31, is attached to the rear wall by means of a spring hinge 49, the spring pretension of the hinge 49 keeping the cover element 45 in contact with the other cover element 31.

Based on this arrangement, the cover elements 31 and 45 in combination form a closure of the gap 29, when the seat part 1 moves from the position shown in FIG. 2 into the position shown in FIG. 3 and for the associated movement of the toggle lever 33 the cover element 31 in its lower region rising into the gap 29 and at the same time the extent of overlapping being reduced by the other cover element 45 which adjoins the cover element 31 under the spring pretensioning of the hinge 49.

Preferably the cover elements 31 and 45 are produced from a fire-retardant plastic material, for example Kydex®.

FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrate a second exemplary embodiment in which instead of plate-like cover elements there is a single flexible cover element labeled 51 as a whole. The cover element 51 shown in FIG. 5 in the tensioned or stretched state has a rectangular outline, aside from one longitudinal edge which is not straight and which forms the end edge 53 which is designed to be attached to the rear wall 9 of the shell body 5. On this end edge 53 which, proceeding from the side edges 55 and 57, runs slightly obliquely to the inside, there is a recess 59 offset from the middle area against the side edge 55. On the side edge 57 away from the recess 59 there is a slot-like notch 61. Both the recess 59 and also the notch 61 are used as an adaptation aid which promotes the conformation of the flexible cover element 51 in the area of its end edge 53 which is to be attached to the rear wall 9 if the rear wall 9 for construction reasons possibly does not have a flat shape in the attachment area.

As in the rigid cover elements 31 and 45, the flexible cover element 51 also extends essentially over the entire intermediate space between the side walls 7 of the shell body 5.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment there are push buttons 63 on the end edge 53 as attachment means which interact with push buttons on the corresponding push button strip on the wall 9.

On the edge 65 facing the seat bottom 11 the cover element 51 likewise has push buttons 63. They can be provided on or next to a stiffening element which extends along the edge 65, for example of a tape 64 of Kydex® (FIG. 7). The push buttons 63 can interact for connecting the cover element 51 to the seat structure for example directly with a push button strip which is attached to a component located on the lower end area 27 of the seat back 3 or optionally on a cross arm 41 on which in the above described example the cover element 31 is attached by means of blind rivets 43 or can interact with a push button strip which is fixed for example via an adhesive closure. Alternatively, instead of the push buttons 63 there can be an adhesive closure link to the two edges 53 and 65.

The cover element 51 has three rubber bands 67 which are uniformly distributed over the width of the cover element 51, which run in the longitudinal direction, and which end at a short distance from the rear end edge 53 and the front edge 65 of the strip 69 which forms the main body of the cover element 51. The rubber bands 67 are connected to the strip 69 which consists of a fabric, braid, or knit of flame-retardant material, for example of Lantal®, such that the rubber bands 67 are bordered with a cut piece 71 of the same material of the cover element 51, these cut pieces 71 each being sewn to the strip 69 and the rubber bands 67 likewise being sewn thereto on the end side.

Accordingly a reinforcing tape 73 of Kydex® which is likewise sewn to the material of the strip 69 forms transverse stiffening of the strip 69. This tape 73 runs in the vicinity of the rear end edge 53 parallel to the front edge 65 and is sewn to the strip 69. Along the rear end edge 53 a reinforcing tape 75 of Kydex® which is sewn to the strip 69 extends next to the push buttons 63.

Due to the described execution of the flexible cover element 51 in the form of a correspondingly cut strip 69 with rubber bands 67, stiffening tapes 64, 73, 75 and recesses 59 and notches 61, a cover element is formed which essentially completely covers the gap 29 when the gap size is variable and which automatically adapts to the gap geometry. 

1. A seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, with seat components such as for example a seat part (1), a seat back (3), and a shell body (5), which forms at least a partially rear enclosure (9) of the seat part (1) and/or the seat back (3), and with an adjusting means by which the seat part (1) and the seat back (3) can be adjusted in position relative to one another and relative to the rear enclosure (9), the distance between the latter and the seat back (3) being variable, characterized by a cover means (31, 45; 51) for bridging a gap (29) which is formed by the variable distance between the seat back (3) and enclosure (9) between them.
 2. The seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein to adapt to the variable size of the gap (29) the cover means has at least one cover element (31, 45; 51) of variable shape or location.
 3. The seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cover means has a cover element (31) which is attached to a component (33) which is articulated to the bearing structure of the seat part (1), which is adjacent to the gap (29) to be bridged, and which can be moved relative to the rear enclosure (9) on the shell body (5) when a change in the position of the seat part (1) is induced by the adjusting means.
 4. The seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the bearing structure of the seat part (1) has front and rear pairs (13, 15) of upright legs which support the seat bottom (11) on the cabin deck and wherein between the rear pair (13) of upright legs there is a toggle lever arrangement (33, 35, 37) which extends between the seat bottom (11) and the cabin deck, with a toggle lever (33) which is connected to the seat bottom (11), which can be pivoted when the position of the seat part (1) changes, and which forms the movable component to which the cover element (31) is attached.
 5. The seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cover means has at least one second cover element (45) which extends in the direction to this first cover element (31) and which is attached to the wall part of the enclosure (9) adjacent to the gap (29).
 6. The seat as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second cover element (45) which is located on the enclosure (9) is movably attached to the enclosure (9).
 7. The seat as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover element (31 and 45) provided on the bearing structure (11) of the seat part (1) and the one provided on the enclosure (9) are both made in the form of a thin plate, one of which overlaps the other, the extent of overlapping changing according to the respective size of the gap (29) to be bridged.
 8. The seat as claimed in claims 6, wherein the second cover element (45) is mounted on the enclosure (9) to be able to pivot around an axis which runs in the transverse direction of the seat and is pretensioned for non-positive contact with the overlapping point on the first cover element (31).
 9. The seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is a flexible cover element (51) which spans the gap (29) and which is anchored on the one hand to the seat part (1) or seat back (3) and on the other to the rear enclosure (9).
 10. The seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein the flexible cover element (51) is a tensionable strip or net structure (69) which is rubber-elastically resilient.
 11. The seat as claimed in claim 10, wherein the strip or net structure (69) contains at least one stiffening element (64, 73, 75) which extends over most of its width.
 12. The seat as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one rubber tension element (67) which extends in the tensioning direction of the strip or net structure (69) which bridges the gap (29) is integrated into the strip or net structure (69). 